On the third day, as they flew across the ocean toward the kingdom of Gran Pearl, a bottle in the water was spotted by Cwenburg.
The serpentarium headed toward the bottle, and from inside it, protected, a paper was examined by the trio.
It was a treasure map!
MERMAIDS' COVE
— Wait, you two, you're all excited. It's impossible. The map is clearly of a cove. What are the chances that on a colossal island like Pearl, we'd find exactly that inlet? — Leofwynn tried to dampen their enthusiasm, but soon Cwenburg pointed:
— It's there.
And it really was an inlet just like on the map.
— What convenient writing! — Leofwynn complained, but the serpentarium headed for the first marking.
— There are three markings. Probably three treasures. One on a hill, another at the bottom of a lake, and the last one in what looks like a grove.
— I bet the treasure is in the grove. — Cwenburg's long ears reddened, just like her excited little face at the possibilities.
— Don't get your hopes up, Cwenburg. There's probably nothing at these markings. — Leofwynn insisted. — Why would anyone bury a treasure, make a map, and throw it into the sea? They'd have to be a lunatic. — Leofwynn kept talking to the two, but it was no use.
On the path between the trees, they followed the map step by step until they spotted a hill similar to the one crudely drawn.
— Now we just have to dig.
— Leave it to me! — Cwenburg transformed her hands into hooved horse paws.
Just as mermaids could transform their tails into human legs, every unicorn girl could turn her hands into unicorn hooves.
Cwenburg dug, throwing dirt that turned into a thick cloud of dust, using her hooves and sweating in the process.
— What a colt! — Æthelflæd was impressed.
They found a chest, and with an inscription, "cockcloth." They read it together as they opened the chest:
— Cockcloth. Cockcloth! Cockcloth?
— What could it be?
— It must be very valuable.
— Let's see. Look! There's something here. — Æthelflæd held it with both hands. It was a piece of cloth wrapped around something heavy.
She examined the piece, admiring it.
Then it was Cwenburg's turn to realize what it was, and she blushed.
Finally, Leofwynn took a long time looking, staring, turning it from side to side, until Æthelflæd explained, with the unicorn girl blushing even more:
— It's a cockcloth, a cock wrapped in a cloth…
Holding the huge stuffed member, Leofwynn wrapped it back in the cloth and threw it far away, with Æthelflæd running after it.
— It might still be useful. I'll keep it for alchemy! — she declared without meeting their doubtful gazes, aware of how she'd use it when no one was watching.
They avoided discussing the subject, and the phallus was stored in one of the alchemist's bags.
After a third of the day, they finally explored the grove and the lake. The two chests were nearby. One visible at the bottom of a shallow lake, and the other between two banana trees.
— Let's go to the banana tree first. — Cwenburg suggested, and the others pushed the chest, as it was stuck, its lid wedged between the stems.
On the ground, they opened it easily. It had no lock.
It was empty.
Then they went to the submerged chest and, unable to move it from the bottom, even though the lake was shallow, the chest was extremely heavy, they set up ropes.
They tied and lashed two nearby trees, creating the setup that allowed them to drag the chest out of the water.
Water leaked through the cracks, revealing something unexpected, a very small, though muscular, dwarf with clothes worn by time.
He ran between the trees, hiding.
A little irritated, the three then flew off on Godwyna.